Beverage cans are commonly used as portion containers for different kinds of beverages, such as soda, juice, beer and similar liquids. Beverage cans are normally produced in aluminum and has the advantage of being light weighed, durable, resilient against corrosion and recyclable. The disadvantage with such beverage cans, in relation to other beverage containers such as bottles made from plastic or glass, is that beverage cans are not so easily closed such as with a screw cap. In other words, an opened can normally stays open until it is either emptied or discarded, regardless of its volume.
This is a problem, especially considering the possibility that unwanted and foreign elements, e.g. insects, may enter the beverage can after it has been opened. Normally, an opened can is not emptied immediately, and the user often leaves the can unattended on a table or on the ground, e.g. while the user is eating or is focusing his/her attention on something else. The possibility for the can being contaminated by insects like wasps or bees, which are attracted by the sweet content of the can before the can is emptied, is therefore high. The insect does not only represent a unappetizing foreign body, but also a real safety hazard for the user, as the user may be stung in the mouth area or throat by the insect, when he/she drinks from the can again. Such stings can cause potential lethal situations, such as allergic reactions or swelling of proximate organs, which may cause serious conditions leading to hospitalization or in the worst case risk of suffocation.
Previous attempts to find a solution to this problem are known. Many of these solutions are based on complicated extra parts that have to be fastened or mounted on the beverage can during use, such as a cover that may be mounted on the can.
From US 2004/006566 a cap is provided for inserting into the opening of the can covering the opening and providing a seal.
These solutions are impractical as the user has to buy such covers separately. Furthermore, the user tends to forget bringing such accessory along and the covers are not used. The covers are also expensive to produce; they often fall off easily, quite simply because they are removable and hard to fasten sufficiently. A factory made mounting of such a cover, or a bundled kit with extra cover would be an unfavorable solution to the above problems as it would cause logistical problems regarding delivery, handling and storage of cans which are systemized and automated processes adapted to the “normal” shape, size and specifications of the present conventional cans.
Other suggested solutions are based on complicated devices that require special fastening to the can which will require specialized parts being produced and mounted during the production of the can and often requires specialized cans.
From DE 40 38 329, a filter device mounted by special pegs to the inner side of the top of a can is known.
From WO 97/1986 1 a similar filter device is fastened in various manners to the inner side of the top of the can.
In both of the above documents the filter device is dependant on the scaling element being either removed or pressed sufficiently into the can in order for the filter to flip back up against the opening of the can. However, the filter may during this process be damaged. Also, as often experienced, the sealing element does not always bend completely into the can and the filter will then not close around the opening of the can. In addition, aluminum lacks resilience in order to flip up in the required manner. In WO 97/1986 this has been proposed solved by extending the length of the filter element e.g. in a semi circular form in order to not bend the filter element permanently into the can. This requires non-standard fixing to the top of the can and still it is not evident that the spring power of the filter element will provide sufficiently closure to the opening.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,924 a can cover is known, where a turnable plastic cover is used to close and reopen a can, but without a filtering function. The disadvantage with this solution, in addition to the reasons mentioned above, is that the cover is fastened over the top edge of the can, which would causes the cover to easily break, during storage and shipping, if mounted from the producer. It can also be disruptive to logistics if it breaks or falls of and a further problem is that it is not recyclable together with the aluminum can. Moreover the user will most likely not use this cover consistently because it is impractical to use and the user may forget to close the cover every time he/she uses the can.
In US patent 2005/0150895 some of the problems mentioned earlier, have been attempted to be solved, by placing a screen covering the opening of the can from the inside of the can. When the can is opened, the sealing element of the can, which is pushed down into the can during opening, presses the screen out and downwards into the can. The problem with this solution is that it is relatively complicated to mount such a screen properly and safe to the underside of the top of the can during production, and it will require changes in the production method and equipment thereof. The sealing element also risks pulling the screen apart and destroying it if said elements are not correctly placed and abutting each other before the can is opened. Furthermore, this document offers no complete solution to the problem regarding insects, because the sealing element is of such a depth that it allows for smaller insects to fit into the “screen basket”. Once the insect is in place in this screen basket, it is well positioned to sting the user. The user will not necessarily be aware of the insect, as he/she would have to look directly into the opening in the top of the can to see any potential intruders. Therefore, this solution is insufficient e.g. in poor lighting, if the user of the beverage can has poor vision or is easily distracted such as in the case of a child.
Another attempted solution is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,970 wherein a cover may be placed over the opening of the can, and clamped by the tab on the top side of the can being rotated 180 degrees, and thereby holding the filter in place. This cover is a flat metallic plate with a plurality of holes and is placed directly under the hole in the tab of the can. In this manner the content of the can will be poured through the hole in the tab. The most important inconvenience with this solution is that it is difficult to bend the tab downward and onto the can in order to apply pressure against the cover, and that the actual space for filtering holes inside the hole of the tab is very limited. Furthermore, the content of the beverage may easily flow out on the sides of the filter/tab and onto the user being covered in sticky/sweet liquid. In addition, it will be uncomfortable to drink from the can because the thickness of the filter/tab makes it difficult to close/seal the mouth against the can. An added awareness should also be taken against the hazard that children might be tempted to bite on filter/tab, which might injure their mouth or teeth.
From DE 199 09 861 a 180 degree turnable tab with an integrated filter is known, which partially covers the opening of the can. The filter is locked into place over the hole with a set of small protrusions on the edges of the tab that are squeezed in below the edge of the opening of the can. A disadvantage with this and the previous solution is that the user runs the risk of squeezing or cutting his/her fingers or parts of the mouth, especially the tongue, in the wedged opening between the protrusions of the tab and the edges of opening of the can. Children are especially exposed in this solution. The rotation of the tab, in this and the previous solution, may further break the peg that fastens the tab to the can if the user is too quick or not gentle enough in the operation. The tab in conventional cans is not intended to be rotated, except for 90 degrees vertically and will easily break. This will also be a problem in the attempted solution suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,970 above. Further, the solution does not cover the opening of the can sufficiently against small insects such as ants, mosquitoes and midge etc.
It therefore exist a need for a device that completely covers the entire opening of the can and effectively hinders insects in entering an opened can. The device should follow the can as an integrated part of the can e.g. a part of the can or be pre mounted by the producer of the can or the user. The solution must be robust yet simple to use, and comfortable to drink from. It should be compatible with existing production and logistical operations, without the need for changes to be made to existing handling, storage and transport of the items equipped with the present invention.
Since cans are not transparent, such as plastic and glass bottles, it is also difficult to become aware of unwanted elements inside a can. This fact requires great trust in the producer as well as responsibility of the producer to make sure that no unwanted objects enter the can during production or are formed during storage. There is also a need for a solution that may protect both the manufacturer and the consumer against such incidents, although such cases are rare.
Further, there is a need for a solution that hinders dirt and bacteria contaminate the drinking area of the can, especially if the can is equipped with the functions described in the above.
From JP 07291383 a hygienically cover is known, fastened to a pull top releasing type which is removed together with the pull top to expose a clean area for the users lips.
From GB 2 294 445 a removable sealing film is known for keeping the area of contact with the user clean.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,718 a protections element is provided with two laminar portions being hermetically superimposed and hinged which may be separated to reveal a clean surface around the opening of the can and providing a clean surface along the walls of the can.
However, none of these hygienic sealing solutions provides any hindrance against insects or unwanted object from entering the can.